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School board to grade superintendent this afternoon

The Palm Beach County School Board will give their annual evaluation of Superintendent Wayne Gent, who was made the permanent superintendent in February of 2012 about a year after the school board voted to part ways with its longtime and controversial superintendent Art Johnson.

Gent, who was the interim superintendent, was given the permanent post in a split board vote after a lengthy internal and external search did not yield any candidates that a majority of the school board members supported for superintendent.

Several board members have voiced frustrations with Gent, particularly concerning his communication with board members, in the past year. Board Member Marcia Andrews last month said she “expected better” from her superintendent after Gent removed Pahokee High School Principal Ariel Alejo and appointed another principal without going through a search process, a decision Gent vehemently defended because of what he said was a need to move quickly to turn the school around.

Gent also chastised Gent over communication issues last year in connection with the Roosevelt Leadership Academy project.

In November School Board Member Karen Brill and other board members questioned Gent’s choice to fill the Chief Strategic Communications Officer position and why he didn’t first advertising it. Gent ultimately decided to advertise that position.

Last summer some board members like Mike Murgio called for a new chief of staff position they said was needed to take some of the workload off of Gent. That position was advertised but ultimately has not been filled.

The school board meeting will start at 2:30 p.m. at school district headquarters, 3300 Forest Hill Blvd. in Palm Springs. Other items of discussion include a proposed expulsion of a student for assaulting a staff member and personnel moves including making Senior Counsel Elizabeth McBride the new legal counsel dedicated solely to the office of Inspector General Lung Chiu.